Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for communicating communication parameters.
Description of the Related. Art
When a communication apparatus is to be connected to a wireless network to perform communication, it is necessary to set various communication parameters such as the encryption method, the encryption key, the authentication method, and authentication key. A technique for facilitating setting of these communication parameters is discussed in Japanese Patent Application. Laid-Open. No. 2014-60623. In the technique discussed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open. No. 2014-60623, a communication apparatus displays a Quick Response (QR) code (registered trademark, omitted hereinafter) including information of communication parameters. The communication apparatus captures and reads an image of the QR code, and sets the read communication parameters to an access point.
However, if the communication parameters are set only through image capturing, communication can be easily performed via a wireless network, causing a security problem.
A conceivable solution for this problem is to cause the communication apparatus which displays the QR code information and the communication apparatus which captured the QR code information to authenticate each other, and, when authentication succeeds, to transfer the communication parameters to maintain security.
If one communication apparatus knows the media access control (MAC) address of the other communication apparatus, one communication apparatus is able to transmit an authentication request signal by unicast to the other communication apparatus. However, if communication apparatus does not know the MAC address of the other communication apparatus, one communication apparatus needs to transmit the authentication request signal by broadcast or multicast.
When one communication apparatus transmits the authentication request signal by broadcast or multicast, the request signal will reach also unintended apparatuses (apparatuses other than an intended communication partner apparatus), and an error response is returned from the unintended apparatus. There is a possibility that, if the error response is returned, the communication partner apparatus interrupts processing or fails in the processing.